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The latest news on Dem nomination-Obama, Dem nomination-Clinton, Dem nomination-analysis, Ohio-payday lending, GI Bill, Asylum in Canada, Food crisis, Burma, Iran, Zimbabwe, and Op-Eds.

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Dem nomination-Obama. Obama Claims Nomination "With a split decision in the final two primaries and a flurry of superdelegate endorsements, Sen. Barack Obama sealed the Democratic presidential nomination after a grueling and history-making campaign against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton." Obama Claims Nomination; First Black Candidate to Lead a Major Party Ticket"Senator Barack Obama claimed the Democratic presidential nomination, prevailing through an epic battle with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in a primary campaign that inspired millions of voters from every corner of America to demand change in Washington." Obama: 'A new course for America' "In a moment bearing history's weight and the future's promise, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois claimed the Democratic nomination for president to cap a grueling but ultimately successful quest to be the first African-American candidate to lead a major party's bid for the White House." Obama makes history, clinches nomination, turns to face McCain "Barack Obama clinched the Democratic presidential nomination, seizing a place in American history on the final day of a grueling five-month primary that forced him to battle rival Hillary Clinton to the very end."

Dem nomination-Clinton. Clinton stands tall in defeat, refusing to surrender, seeking respect "Mixing grace with defiance, Hillary Clinton acknowledged that her presidential campaign has reached the end of the road but her quest for the White House hasn't." Clinton Ends Primary Season With an Unanswered Question "characteristically measured and noticeably upbeat, Clinton did not explain her next move when she addressed her supporters in the dingy basement gym at Baruch College." Next on Agenda Is Clinton's Role "while he would like to shift his attention fully to the onslaught already coming from Senator John McCain and the Republicans, Mr. Obama still has problems in his own party that may overshadow everything else until he addresses them:"

Dem nomination-analysis. How Obama went from underdog to alpha "It was a triumph of charisma and soaring oratory -- two of the oldest commodities in politics -- fused with a thoroughly modern campaign that harnessed the Internet like never before." How Barack Obama won the nomination "With the last primaries over and the general election ahead, Obama, his advisers and thousands of volunteers are looking back proudly on what political science professors will teach for years as a new model for how to campaign for president." Strategy Was Based On Winning Delegates, Not Battlegrounds "Almost from the beginning, Hillary Rodham Clinton's superior name recognition and her sway with state party organizations convinced Barack Obama's brain trust that a junior senator from Illinois was not going to be able to challenge the Clinton political machine head-on." 'It would not have been possible 40 years ago' "Within the living memory of many in this country, the simple act of encouraging black Americans to reach for the vote - never mind an actual political office - was enough to risk a brutal death and a shallow grave."

Ohio-payday lending. Strickland signs payday-lending bill "Gov.Ted Strickland signed tough new restrictions on short-term lending in Ohio that supporters say will put an end to a payday loan industry that does far more harm than good for Ohioans in financial trouble. When the law takes effect in 90 days, it will put an end to the payday lending industry as it exists in Ohio,"

GI Bill. Bipartisan GI bill excludes GOP leadership 'Democratic Sen. Jim Webb outflanked top Republicans by courting veterans groups to create a "21st Century GI Bill," a legislative gambit that has again put GOP lawmakers at odds with President Bush and the party's presumptive presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain.'

Asylum in Canada. MPs vote to give asylum to U.S. deserters "American military deserters celebrated a bittersweet victory as the House of Commons passed a motion calling on the Harper government to let them stay in Canada." Canada's House backs war resisters "The measure, though nonbinding, could lead to a last-minute reprieve for Glass and nearly 40 others who have asked for refugee status. Perhaps 200 more war dodgers are living in the country unannounced, waiting to see how Canada will ultimately declare itself,"

Food crisis. U.N. Says Food Plan Could Cost $30 Billion a Year"Faced with an immediate hunger crisis and the need to double food production in the next 30 years, world leaders meeting Tuesday to discuss soaring food prices were mostly in agreement on how the problem could be resolved. The questions were how to get there and who was going to pay for it." World leaders urged to address food crisis "At a three-day emergency food summit, U.N. officials urged nations to eliminate trade barriers, expand biotechnology research and boost production with an annual investment of $20 billion to $30 billion." Fuel a factor at UN food talks "A global summit over how to feed the hungry and pump up food stocks - tasks that could demand more than $20 billion a year in aid - magnified a debate over diverting grains to produce biofuels in the world's most developed countries."

Burma . US ships abort Myanmar mercy mission "U.S. Navy ships are leaving Myanmar after failing to get the junta's permission to unload aid to "ease the suffering of hundreds of thousands" of cyclone survivors, the top U.S. military commander in the Pacific said" US aid ships to leave Burma "The navy said it would withdraw the four ships, carrying helicopters and landing craft, after 15 failed attempts to convince the regime to let them in."

Iran . Olmert to AIPAC: We must stop the Iranian threat "The moment when Israel and the Palestinian Authority will have to make tough decisions is fast approaching, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference." Israeli warning over nuclear Iran "Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said drastic measures are needed to stop Iran obtaining nuclear weapons." Iran President Ahmadinejad condemns Israel, U.S. "Shunned by his hosts and targeted by street demonstrations, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad used a U.N. conference to again condemn Israel and the United States as bellicose regimes on the brink of demise." Chief Cleric Says Iran Doesn't Seek Nuclear Arms "Iran's supreme religious leader vowed Tuesday that his country would pursue a peaceful atomic energy program and had no interest in nuclear weapons, calling them expensive and useless."

Zimbabwe . Tsvangirai detained in Zimbabwe "Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has been detained by police during campaigning for the country's presidential election, his party says." In a Crackdown, Zimbabwe Curbs Many Aid Groups"Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Zimbabweans - orphans and old people, the sick and the down and out - have lost access to food and other basic humanitarian assistance as their government has clamped down on international aid groups it says are backing the political opposition," Mugabe 'using food as political weapon' "Zimbabwe's president, Robert Mugabe, has been accused of using food as a weapon to starve opposition supporters in the run-up to a second round of presidential elections."

Op-Eds.

The Faith That Moves Tony Blair (Michael Gerson, Washington Post) "Faith," Blair argues, "is not an historical relic but a guide for humanity on its path to the future. A faithless world is not one in which we want ourselves and our children to live." It is a new and unpredicted role for Tony Blair: the faithful servant against a faithless world."

A critical mass for disarmament (Joseph Cirincione, Los Angeles Times)"This is a rare moment in national and international politics, a period of rapid change that promises a transformation in global nuclear policy."